Beijing Zhongshan Park

Beijing Zhongshan Park (北京中山公园) is an elegant commemorative garden with temple and garden perfectly combined as one, which has excellent surroundings and profound cultural connotation. It is also an ideal place to appreciate flowers throughout the year for visitors.

History of Beijing Zhongshan Park

Zhongshan Park sits at the very site of an ancient temple of the Tang Dynasty (618 -907), and it was renamed Xingguo Temple in the Liao Dynasty (907 -1125)and Wanshou Xingguo Temple in the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368), which served as Altar of Land and Grain in the 18th year (1420) of the Emperor Yongle’s reign of the Ming Dynasty (1368- 1644). It was a holy site for emperors to offer sacrifices to God of Earth and God of Grains to pray for a good harvest in the Qing Dynasty (1616 -1911).

It was opened to public as the Central Park in 1914, where the coffin of Sun Yat-sen (the foundation of Republic of China) was temporary placed in 1925, and it was renamed Zhongshan Park in 1928 to commemorate Sun Yat-sun’s great contribution to the Chinese revolution.

Highlights of Beijing Zhongshan Park

The 3-meter (10 feet) tall bronze statue of Sun Yat-sen erects on the granite pedestal at the entrance of Zhongshan Park, whose solemn look is awesome. Surrounded by pavilions, terraces, halls, archways and pillars, the main architecture, the Altar of Land and Grain stands on the central axis of Zhongshan Park.

And it’s a marble -structured platform of three layers, which is paved with five-colored soils (yellow soil in the middle, green soil in the east, red soil in the south, white soil in the west and black soil in the north).The five-colored soils have two symbolic meanings, one of which symbolizes that the emperors have long arms, and the other refers to the five elements of Chinese philosophy (metal, wood, water, fire and earth).

The four-colored glazed walls are decorated around the altar (blue in the east, red in the south, white in the west and black in the north), and the Sacrifice Hall stands in the north of the altar, which is roofed by green glazed tiles. In the east of the altar is the Evergreen Garden, where the undulating rockeries, colorful flower stands, varied flower beds and delicate bonsais are scattered, and the famous scenic spots such as Pitching -Pot Pavilion are dotted among verdant pine trees and bamboos.

The Hothouse Flower Garden lies in the west of the altar, where various kinds of precious flowers and trees grow, highlighted by orchids, calyx canthus, Chinese flowering apples and azaleas, and the flowers are blooming throughout the year. In addition, a number of architectural buildings are also available in the west of the altar, including Welcoming-Sun Pavilion, the Orchid House and Spring -Bright house. The Happy Garden (Yuyuan Garden) is in the northeast of the altar, which neighbors Memorial Hall of Sun Yat-sen in the west and the Music Hall in the north, and it is dotted with green trees and grasses.

In the southwest of the altar are the Divine Warehouse and the Divine Kitchen. The Divine Warehouse was where the sacrificial wares and memorial tablets are enshrined, and the Divine Kitchen was where the sacrificial food were made during the Ming (1368- 1644) and the Qing (1616 -1911) Dynasties.

In addition, the flowers are in full bloom in Zhongshan Park during the flowering period, which are highlighted by plum blossoms in spring, Chinese roses in summer, orchids in autumn and chrysanthemums in winter, attracting thousands of photographers each day.

Solo Adventure Tips:

Bus 1, 4, 5, 10, 22, 37, 52, 99, 726, 728 and 802. Subway line 1 can also take you there from Beijing city center

Ticket Price:

3 Yuan for the admission and 5 Yuan is the inclusive price.

Opening Hours:

6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. from April 1 to May 31; 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. from June 1 to August 31; 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. from September 1 to October 31; 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. from November 1 to March 31 next year